Bath miss chance to start 2024 top of Premiership table after loss at Leicester
Bath missed the opportunity to begin 2024 at the top of the Premiership table as they crashed to a convincing 35-22 defeat to Leicester before a sold-out Mattioli Woods Welford Road with an attendance of nearly 26,000.
The defeat was not unexpected as Bath took the surprise decision to rest many of their leading lights, with Finn Russell, Ollie Lawrence, Beno Obano and regular skipper Ben Spencer among those absent from their line-up.
With nothing gained from the match, Bath finished the year in fourth position, two points behind leaders Northampton.
Leicester took full advantage to score five tries. These came from Matt Rogerson, Mike Brown, George Martin and James Cronin with Handre Pollard adding four conversions. There was also a penalty try award.
Louis Schreuder and replacements Louie Hennessey and Ewan Richards scored Bath’s tries, with Orlando Bailey kicking a penalty and a conversion. Sam Harris also added a conversion.
It took Bath less than four minutes to take the lead. On halfway, Pollard’s telegraphed inside pass to Freddie Steward was intercepted by Schreuder, who had the pace to hold off the cover on a 50-metre run to the line.
Tigers drew level when they turned down a kick at goal in favour of an attacking line-out and it paid dividends when Rogerson forced his way over.
A burst from Bath wing Tom de Glanville saw him threaten the try-line but it was the hosts who scored next when a well-judged pass from Tom Whiteley gave Brown the chance to outflank the defence and score.
On the half-hour Bath captain GJ van Velze was sin-binned with the home side capitalising immediately when Cronin powered over from short range.
Three minutes later, Leicester scored their bonus-point try when Martin finished off a succession of forward drives. Pollard added his fourth conversion before Bailey responded with a penalty to leave his side trailing 28-10 at the interval.
A minute after the restart, Van Velze returned but it made no difference as three minutes later his side conceded a penalty try after collapsing Tigers’ line-out drive with the culprit Jaco Coetzee sent to the sin-bin.
Leicester did not take advantage of Coetzee’s absence, with no addition to the scoreboard, and they relaxed further when international forwards Martin, Tommy Reffell, Jasper Wiese and Julian Montoya were all replaced in quick succession.
The game fizzled out as a spectacle but spirited Bath earned some reward when a break from Max Ojomoh set up a try for Hennessey.
Richards soon added another but Leicester went into the new year happy after recording a double over their opponents, having triumphed earlier in the season at the Rec by a single point.
Comments on RugbyPass
“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
37 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
5 Go to comments